Combined end-gate and shoveling-board



H. H. JOHNSON.

COMBiNED END GATE AND SHOVELING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12, 1917.

1 3 1 Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. JOHNSON, OF AVOCA, IOWA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

Application filed October 12, 1917. Serial No. 196,195.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. J OHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Avoca, in the county of Pottawattamie, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined End- Gates and shoveling-Boards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in wagon end gates and particularly to removable and convertible end gates.

One object of the present invention isto provide an end gate which is provided with a swinging portion serving as a door to facilitate the ordinary removal of the contents of the wagon.

Another object is to provide an end gate which is adapted to be so shifted as to provide a novel and efficient shoveling board.

The primary feature of the invention consists in making the gate with an upper sec tion and depending legs spaced to produce an opening, and mounting in this opening a hinged door which in closed position fits between said legs and against the rear end of the bottom of the wagon body so tightly that a fine substance such as grain or sand may not leak out.

In carrying out this feature, a specific detail of the invention lies in the means for fastening the door closed against the legs of the upper section and holding said legs close against the wings of the end gate, so as to prevent the spreading of the wagon box under the weight of its load of granular material, which spreading is so often disastrous to the successful operation of end gates.

7 Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the end gate and portion of the wagon on which said gate is carried, the gate being in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View on the same line as that of Fig. 2, but showing the lower portion or door of the gate in open position.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through the end gate and portion of the wagon showing the gate in position for use as a shoveling board. Referring particularly to the accompanylng drawing, 10 represents the sides of the wagon box having strips 10 within their rear ends, 11 the bottom thereof. Movably disposed along the sides 10 and past the ends of the sill 11 of the wagon, are the side members or wings 12 of the end gate. Secured to these wings are the longer end boards of the gate, which boards are designated at 14 and herein called legs, and between the legs are the shorter boards 14, all said boards being held together by means of the cleats or battens 13. The gate comprises an upper section A in the lower portion of which between said legs there is formed an opening for the reception of the lower section A herein called a door. Said door is made up of upright boards 16 adapted to stand in the plane of the boards 14, and a wide board or plank 16 secured across their outer faces and its ends lapping over onto the legs 14 as seen in Fig. 1. The door at its upper edge is hinged to the lower batten of the gate by means of the hinges 15, and may be swung upwardly and outwardly of the opening as clearly shown in Fig. 4: of the drawing. The upper section has openings near its edges, and to its outer face are secured wear plates 17 having like openings. Through these project perforated studs 18 rigidly mounted on the inner faces of the body sides 10, and with their perforations are engaged the hooked ends of the rods 18 for holding the gate in elevated closed position, said rods being arranged to slide through said openings when the gate is swung downwardly on its pivot into the position of a shoveling board, and at this time loops or eyes at the other ends of the rods bear against the wear plates and hold the board in such position. Secured to the central portion of the lower cleat is a hook consisting of an upwardly extending strip of metal 19, a ring 20 being mounted on the swinging door A by means of the strap 21 for engagement over the upper end of said strip to hold the door open or in elevated position, whereby the contents of the wagon can be easily dumped.

Inset into and secured to the inner face of each wing is a bracket having a plate 22 at right angles to its body and carrying a nut 22 in its angle, and into said nut 1s adapted to be screwed the threaded end of a screw or boit 23 whose body is mounted through the leg 14: and has a shoulder 23 outside of it. Therefore by setting up said screw, the leg will be clamped against the rear edge of the wing 12 and the rear end of the side l0 of the wagon box which said leg overlaps seen in Fig. 8. The bolts are continued beyond their shoulders and formed with the T-shaped heads for pas sage through open-ended slots 25 in the ends of the board 16 of the door and through like slots in wear plates 26 on its face. These heads are arranged to be turned transversely of the slots to hold the door in closed posi tion against the legs when the wagon is in motion or not in use, or when the gate is swung downwardly into the position for use as a shoveling board, as clearly seen in Fi 5.

b V n Secured to the rear face of the sill 11 1s a strip 2'? onwhich the lower end of the legs rest when the gate is in closed position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and on which the edges of the wings 12 rest when the gate is in open position as a shoveling board,v as seen in Fig. 5. Thus this strip cooperates with the lower end of the gate to form a pivot for the latter, obviating the necessity of connecting any part of he gate to the wagon box. By unhooking the rods 18 from the lugs 18, the gate can be quickly and easily lifted from the wagon.

With the parts standing closed as seen in l igs. 1 and 2, the simple turning of the bolts with their heads 2% horizontal. permits the door A to swing open and readily dump a load of granular material which would then run out; but as long as the heads stand as seen in these views, the door is clamped closed with boards 16 in the opening against the legs 14 and resting on the strip 27 between the rear end of the bottom 11, and with the extended ends of its cross board 16 lapping the line beby the'studs 18 and the hooks of the rods 18, the legs 14 will be drawn closely against the rear edges of the sides of the wagon body and therefore will prevent leakage as well as spreading of said body under the weight of the load which often occurs where the wagon body is an old one or the road is rough.

When the structure is let down as seen in Fig. 5, it becomes a shoveling board, and the then upper faces of the inner boards of the door are level with or perhaps a little below the upper face of the bottom ii of the body, while their grain and that of the boards 14.- and 14: and also the wings 12, is along the line in which a shovel would be moved in loading or unloading the wa n. At this time the rods 18' support the portion of the structure, while the e" cs or the wings overlie the ends of the strip 2'? and support its inner portion, and the door is held in place by the hinges 15 and by the fact that it rests on the strip 27. liheu the structure is entirely disconnected from the wagon body, the rear end of the latter may be closed in any suitable manner as by putting an ordinary gate down inside the strips 10. a

What is claimed is:

In an end gate structure for wagon bodies, the combination with an upper section closed at its upper portion and having legs at its sides extending downward, wings disposed at right angles to said legs and extending tl'iroughout their length, means pivotally connecting the lower ends of the wings with the wagon body, means detachably connecting theupper portion of this section with said body, and a door hinged to said section and having upright boards for closing the space between said legs and a cross board to lap said legs when the door is closed, the ends of such board having horizontal notches; of a bracket secured to each wing and having a nut, and a bolt passing through each leg and threaded at its inner end to engage said nut, its body having a shoulder next outside the leg and projecting beyond the shoulder to engage one of said slots and its outer end having a T-head adapted to be set across the slot, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. JOHNSON.

Witnesses JACOB PETERSEN. RUssELL 0. Row. 

